State Senators Propose Single-Payer Health Bill in California

In an effort to create a universal health system in California, Senators Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) and Toni G Atkins (D-San Diego) recently announced new, key provisions to their proposed health care bill, the Healthy California Act (Senate Bill 562). 

“With Republicans’ failure to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Californians really get what is at stake with their health care,” Sen Lara said in a press release. “We have the chance to make universal health care a reality now. It’s time to talk about how we get to health care for all that covers more and costs less.”

Under the reintroduced bill, that was originally introduced in February, California residents would receive coverage with comprehensive care for all services regardless of their income or immigration status, including inpatient, outpatient, emergency, dental, vision, mental health, and nursing home care. The bill will provide patients one plan with more choice, according to a press release. 

The program would prohibit insurers from offering benefits that cover the same services as the state. Additionally, copays and deductibles would be eliminated, and patients would not need to obtain referrals to see eligible providers. 

The Senators have not announced however, how the program will be funded—the cost is expected to be the biggest hurdle for the proposal. According to the Senators, the bill will be funded by broad-based revenue, and the authors of the bill are developing a detailed funding proposal. 

Interestingly, the bill seems to lack support from Governor Jerry Brown, who recently told reporters that the annual medical costs in the California are equivalent to 18% of the states gross domestic product—or $450 billion.

“Where do you get the extra money? This is the whole question,” Gov Brown told The Los Angeles Times. “You take a problem and say I’m going to solve it by something that’s even a bigger problem, which makes no sense.”

However, Sen Atkins noted that recent efforts in Washington to repeal the ACA have made it clear that states need to prepare for the future of health care coverage. 

“The Affordable Care Act is still intact, and that is a good thing, but uncertainty remains, and we can’t afford to remain idle on health care,” Sen Atkins said in a press release. “The framework outlined in the Healthy California Act is
the option that we need on the table to take our state forward and provide health care for everyone.” —Julie Mazurkiewicz